


The Hat

by zebraljb



Category: NSYNC
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-18
Updated: 2012-01-17
Packaged: 2017-10-29 17:46:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/322495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zebraljb/pseuds/zebraljb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JC finds a battered hat and claims it as his own...and amazing things start happening.</p><p>Written 2000-2001</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

THE HAT  
Prologue

 

Uno: Justin

 

It all started with that damned hat that JC picked up at some flea market in some town in some state in the Midwest. It was this stupid beige fisherman’s hat that made him look like eighty years old or something. I told him this; as his best friend, it was my job. What I DIDN’T tell him was that the way his hair curled out from underneath the hat was totally adorable. I miss MY curls.

 

Dos: Lance

 

I saw that damned hat on JC’s head and about died laughing. He looked like such a dork. Mr. Fashion Plate, wearing some dumb fisherman’s hat. And he didn’t just wear it on the bus…oh no…he wore it at rehearsal. He started wearing it to meet and greets. He fell asleep with it on more than once. I didn’t have it in me to tell him how dorky he looked. I also didn’t have it in me to tell him that that stupid hat raised his fuckability level about three hundred percent.

 

Tres: Joey

 

JC bought this hat in Kansas, I think. Or was it Iowa? Anyway, it was this fisherman’s hat in a town where there was NO body of water bigger then a water barrel behind a barn. But he loved the damn thing. He’d slap it on his head first thing in the damn morning, and it actually made him cheerful. Scary, considering how JC is WAY not a morning person. Also scary was the way his smile would just intensify as it beamed out from under this too big, too ugly hat. I always thought JC had a gorgeous smile. I would never admit it though; I’m not gay. I guess I’m Josh-Sexual, because he’s the only guy I’ve ever had nasty naughty thoughts about. How could you help it with JC?

 

Quatro: Chris

 

I always knew JC was a bit addled in the head, but that hat? Oh my. It made Justin’s furry pimp coat for that magazine spread look normal. Hell, it made my HAIR look normal. But he loved the damn thing. It was beige…this dirty brown color that wasn’t caused by dirt. It just looked that way all the time. And the scary thing was, it turned his eyes this gorgeous blue. They seemed to burn out from under the hat, like these steel blue headlights or something. I dreamt about the damn hat at night. Not just the hat, but JC IN the hat. JC in nothing but the hat. Shit, I was certifiable.


	2. Chapter 2

THE HAT  
One

 

“So, Justin…what do you think of my hat?” JC bounced onto their bus, where Joey and Lance were also visiting before they moved out. Lance howled with laughter. Justin just stared at him.

“Dude, you look like eighty years old or something.”

“Where the hell’d you get that?” Joey asked.

“At a flea market. I love it.”

“You look like Gilligan,” Chris remarked.

“Who’s Gilligan?” Justin asked. Chris groaned and Justin laughed. “Kidding. I know who it is.”

“It’s the new me,” JC decided, flopping down next to Justin and trying to look at himself in the back of a spoon.

“Yeah…can the new you catch us some lobster for dinner?” Chris asked, making everyone but JC laugh.

“Okay, make fun of me. You watch though…this is a good luck hat. The guy told me he got lucky every time he wore it.” JC flounced off to his bunk, yanking the curtain shut behind him.

 

“Justin…wake up…you’re having a nightmare,” JC said gently, shaking Justin a bit. Justin’s blue eyes fluttered open. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Justin whispered, sitting up slightly. He stared at JC, who wore a pair of blue boxers and…the hat. “You sleep with it on?”

“I fell asleep with it on,” JC said defensively. “And it will keep me from having bedhair.”

Justin reached up unconsciously and touched one of the curls below JC’s ear. “I like your hair,” he said softly. He realized what he had done and snatched his hand back. JC could barely make out his fearful face in the semi-darkness.

“It’s okay,” JC said softly, taking Justin’s hand and pulling it back up behind his head as he leaned down into Justin’s bunk.

 

“Are you okay?” Chris said the next morning.

“Fine,” Justin mumbled around his Fruit Loops. Milk dribbled down his chin and Chris stared at him.

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard you moaning last night. Did you have a bad dream?”

“Yeah.” Munch munch dribble swallow. “I did. JC…” Justin glanced at Chris briefly. “JC helped me out though.”

“And just HOW did he help you out?” Chris asked shrewdly. Justin blushed as pink as one of his Fruit Loops. “Holy shit, Curly! I was just kidding. What happened?”

“We…uh…well…we did this thing…um…sixty-nine?” Justin wanted to bury his face in his milk. Chris almost fell off his chair.

“You and JC? You’re too tall to do that in a bunk.”

“Trust me…it’s possible.” Justin tossed his bowl into the sink and went back to his bunk. Chris grinned and picked up his cellphone.


	3. Chapter 3

THE HAT  
Two

 

Lance didn’t want to believe Chris when he called, but one look at Justin’s face when they got to the hotel proved everything was true. He didn’t even know Justin was bi, let alone that JC was bi or possibly gay. He thought long and hard about it as he got settled into his hotel room.

“Hey, Lancers, you going out with us tonight?” JC leaned in his doorway when Lance opened the door. Lance laughed out loud.

“Are you wearing that hat?”

“Yeah,” JC said, positioning it more carefully on his head. Lance noticed that the hat seemed to accentuate the slimness of JC’s throat, seemed to draw out the softness of his ears. Lance wondered if JC’s ears tasted as soft as they looked. He shook his head.

“Um, yeah…I just need to change.”

“Cool.” JC sauntered into Lance’s room and closed the door behind him. “I’ll wait for you.” JC flopped onto a chair and picked up the remote. Embarrassed by his sudden erection, Lance grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

 

Lance thought drinking would help. He thought the more he drank, the less fuckable JC would look. But no…the more he drank the MORE fuckable JC looked. Lance whimpered into his sixth beer as he watched JC groove with some random girl. Life sucked. JC caught his eye and walked away from the girl without looking back. “You ready to go?” JC asked.

“Um, yeah,” Lance said carefully, trying not to sway on his feet. JC grinned at him.

“You’re wasted.”

“I am not wasted. I’m drunk,” Lance corrected him, and JC giggled the high-pitched giggle that had been his trademark lately.

“C’mon. I’ll get Joey.”

But Joey didn’t want to leave, so JC and Lance went alone. Once in the back of the cab, JC finally removed his hat, sweat flying from his long hair. “Guess that hat didn’t scare the girls away after all,” Lance said, giggling at the thought of a giant hat frightening away girls left and right. Maybe he was a little drunk.

“I knew it wouldn’t. I belong in this hat.”

“And out of your clothes,” Lance thought. But when JC stared at him, he realized that he hadn’t just thought it. He had said it.

When they were up in Lance’s room, JC told him that he wanted to see Lance’s pretty lips around his cock, with Lance’s pretty eyes looking up at him as he sucked. So Lance got down on his knees and took that long hard cock into his mouth, sucking as if his life depended on it. He did nothing more, just sucked JC. Sucked him until JC came long and hard into his mouth. And then JC returned the favor. He threw the hat across the floor, helped Lance to lean against the wall, and then sucked Lance into the best orgasm he’d ever experienced. Lance could barely think straight…he could think only that he couldn’t breath…he needed mouth to mouth resuscitation. Lance whimpered JC’s name as he came, clutching handfuls of sweaty brown hair.

 

“Lance looks sick,” Joey said with concern. He watched his good friend sitting in a corner in front of his laptop. He was pretending to work, but Chris watched Lance watching JC, who was laughing with Wade. Chris shook his head. No. No way.

“I’m gonna talk to him.” Chris stood up and was in front of Lance before Joey could stop him. He knelt in front of Lance, putting his hand on the keyboard of Lance’s computer. Lance looked at him.

“What?”

“Did you sixty-nine?”

Lance turned pale. “What?”

“You and JC.”

“No…why do you ask?”

“That’s what he did with Justin, so I’m wondering what he did with you.” Chris had such an open curious look in his eyes that Lance answered without thinking twice.

“Mutual blow jobs.”

“Oh, okay.” Chris patted Lance on the knee, stood, and went back to sit with Joey. He watched JC slap the hat on his head before going out to practice the new choreography, Justin close behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

THE HAT  
Three

 

“Bitch!” Joey slapped his cellphone shut and stomped off to his bunk. Lance heard paper tearing and sighed. Joey had talked to Kelly. Joey had fought with Kelly. Now Joey was trying to write a nasty letter to Kelley breaking it all off. It was a vicious cycle that happened regularly. And only one person was normally able to calm Joey down.

Lance stared at his own cellphone, frowning. He should call. He didn’t know why he couldn’t call. Nothing had changed since that night with JC. Hell, it hadn’t even happened again. JC didn’t give him knowing looks, didn’t act like he was ashamed. The only other person who knew was Chris, and HE hadn’t even said anything after that time he had asked about it. Lance sighed again and picked up the cellphone, dialing with the hand he held the phone in. He picked at a corner of the table as the phone rang.

“Yeah, this is JC.”

“Jayce, it’s Lance. Joey fought with Kelly again.”

“Shit.” Lance could almost see JC running his hands through his hair, and he fought the memory of fisting that hair in his own hands. “How soon til we stop for a break?”

“I asked about a half-hour ago, and he said about forty-five minutes, so in a little bit,” Lance told him.

“Okay. I’ll pack up and come over there.”

“Cool. I’ll switch with you…I don’t need to hear him ranting again. Thanks, JC.”

“Sure, Lance.”

Lance tossed his phone down and went back to pack a bag. He gingerly stepped over the crumpled balls of paper that lined the little hallway. “Joey? Jayce is gonna come over here for the night. Apparently Justin and Chris are on his shit about something.”

“Whatever,” Joey mumbled. Lance dodged another paper ball and went to his bunk.

Joey didn’t get off the bus when it stopped. It was drizzling, and JC’s brown hat funneled the rain off his head, making a tiny umbrella around his face. “Finally…that hat’s good for something!” Chris crowed. JC glared at him.

“This hat’s good for more than YOU know,” he snapped. He smiled at Lance. “Hey, Lansten. He getting any better?”

“Nah…still being a brat,” Lance replied. “I’m glad he’s in YOUR hands now.”

“So we get you tonight?” Justin asked. Lance nodded and Chris grinned.

“Good. We made up this new game and we want to try it out on someone new.”

“Lance, whatever you do, never say dare,” JC warned him before stepping up onto Joey and Lance’s bus.

“Huh?” Lance said over his shoulder as Justin dragged him to the other bus.

Joey was in the living area when JC walked up onto the bus. He took off his damp hat and shook like a dog. “Jesus, JC, I’m writing here,” Joey snapped.

“No, it looks like you’re preparing to build an igloo,” JC said cheerfully, motioning to the pile of paper that looked like a little stack of snowballs. “Can I sit down?”

“Whatever.” Joey shoved the igloo stack from the sofa onto the floor and JC sat down.

“Need any help?”

“Not from you.”

“Hey, I’ve written a ‘fuck off’ letter or two in my time. I could help you,” JC suggested.

“I don’t want to tell her to fuck off, though,” Joey said quietly. JC sobered instantly.

“What do you want to tell her?”

“We fought because…because I’m lonely and I miss her and I want her and Bri to fly out here for a few days and she won’t. She said I can find any little groupie to do what I want her to do…but that’s honestly not it, Jayce!” Joey said almost tearfully.

“I believe you, Joey,” JC said, putting a hand on Joey’s arm. He knew Joey DID try to be faithful, but it was hard when he and Kelly were so off again on again. He rubbed Joey’s arm. “It’s hard, though, isn’t it? I mean, trying to stay true to her when there’s so many other women out there.”

“Yeah,” Joey nodded, looking at JC. “Your hat is dirty and wet.”

“I know.” JC took it off and turned it in his hands. “I’m afraid to wash it, though. I’m afraid it will fall apart or something.”

“You really love that thing, don’t you?”

“I like it. I like how I feel wearing it…like I just don’t care about what anyone thinks of me.” JC slapped it on and made a face.

“It makes your eyes look really blue,” Joey finally said. JC actually blushed.

“You notice my eyes?”

“Can I help it? They’re like the best thing about your face, and there’s a lot of good stuff.” Joey couldn’t stop himself. JC blushed again.

“Joey…what’s the wildest fantasy Kelly has? Maybe you could like act it out…show her you care about HER.”

“The usual girl thing,” Joey said simply. “She wants the whole seduction thing. Moonlight and roses.”

“So sweet talk her out here and set it up, you buffoon,” JC said affectionately. “What’s YOUR wildest fantasy, while we’re on the subject?”

Joey blushed. “It’s NOT moonlight and roses.”

“Tell me.” JC was almost purring.

Fifteen minutes later, Joey was trying to keep his legs from giving out on him. “Oh, Jesus, Jayce…God…”

“Does it hurt?” JC whispered. “I can stop.”

“You’d damn well better not,” Joey grunted. JC slid in further. “Oh, FUCK yes…that’s it…all the way…JC…” Joey felt JC’s slender hands on his hips as JC pulled out. “What the hell?”

“Turn over…I can feel your legs shaking,” JC said softly. Joey shook his head.

“No…I want this…like this…fuck me, JC…” Joey begged. JC sighed and slid in again. “Mmm…yes…harder.” JC slammed into him as Joey leaned on the sofa with his forearms as his knees slightly slid on the carpet. He’d have rugburn in the morning.

“Joey…so good…” was all JC said, but Joey could hear the satisfied grunts as JC exhaled. Joey clutched at the sofa cushions, amazed that he didn’t even need to touch himself. As he came from JC’s thrusts alone, he realized that yes, he was Josh-Sexual.

 

“Okay, guys, let’s focus. Backs to the mirror,” Wade directed as they did some   
warm-ups in the makeshift dance studio. Chris turned around and watched Joey laugh at something Justin had said. Chris’ eyes idly ran over Joey, focusing on the bright red marks on his knees. Chris recognized those marks. Chris had given girls those marks.

He cornered Joey during a short break. “Hey, Joe, come get some water with me.” He dragged Joey into the hallway, where they had a small cooler of water bottles. They each grabbed a bottle and chugged down the refreshing liquid. “So…are those rugburns?”

Water sprayed out of Joey’s mouth onto the floor. “What?”

“Damn…what is it about that boy? First sixty-nine…then blow jobs…now he fucks you.” Chris’ eyes grew huge. “That means I’m next.”


	5. Chapter 5

THE HAT  
Four

 

Chris did his best to not be alone with JC. Alone with JC was death, apparently. Men much stronger than he (namely, Lance) had given in to JC. And Chris didn’t trust his willpower. So he stayed attached to anyone he could…Justin, Joey, even Wade. And JC didn’t even seem to notice. It wasn’t like he and JC were as close as Justin and JC were, but he and JC were good friends.

Chris sat alone in his bunk one day as Justin played Playstation and JC slept. He listened to JC’s gentle breathing and tried to rationally think about the whole situation. Why the hell did he, Chris, even care? It wasn’t any of his business who JC played with. It didn’t seem to hurt the group any; JC still got along fine with everyone, and no one was jealous.

“No one except me,” Chris muttered, picking at his pillowcase. He knew now why he cared. He was jealous. INSANELY jealous. He had had a crush on JC for a while, and he wouldn’t let himself admit it. Until then. Until he knew that Justin got to thrust into JC’s warm mouth at the same time JC’s cock was sliding into HIS mouth. Until he knew that Lance got to stare into JC’s eyes as he sucked him to an orgasm. Until he knew that Joey got to feel the energy and rhythm that was JC thrusting in and out of him. “It’s not fair!” Chris moaned into his pillow. And it wasn’t. He wanted JC in the worst way, but number one, JC didn’t seem interested. And number two…he didn’t want it to just happen once.

“Yeah, Wade, I know…down on the three,” JC mumbled in his sleep, and Chris heard something plop to the floor. He peered out of his bottom bunk and looked up at JC’s bunk across the aisle. JC’s slender arm was drooping out from behind the curtain, and the battered brown hat lay on the floor. Chris stared at it, then slowly picked it up. He lay back and closed his curtain before he pressed the hat to his face, slowly inhaling the scent that was JC. It had all started with the damn hat.

 

JC was frantic an hour later when the bus pulled into the hotel and his hat was nowhere to be found. “I had it on in my bunk!”

“Jayce, this is fate. The damn thing is like an addiction with you. Let it go,” Lance said soothingly. JC threw off his comforting arm.

“After we’re settled in, I’m coming back and tearing the damn bus apart.” JC shoved past Lance and headed for the hotel. Chris followed him, guilty hefting his backpack to his back. It was amazing how much heavier it felt after adding a simple hat.

 

JC searched the bus and found nothing. He tried to get the bus driver to turn around and drive the last fifty miles, thinking it might have gone out the window somehow. The driver refused. JC pouted in a style that would put Justin to shame and locked himself in his room. Everyone went down to dinner, except JC…and Chris.

Chris knocked on JC’s door. “Hey, Jayce, it’s me.”

“I don’t feel like talking.”

“Can I just sit and look at you then?” Chris joked, but he meant every word. “I won’t talk about your…I mean, that thing.”

“It’s open,” JC said in a dull voice. Chris walked in and saw JC sitting at the small table in the dining room area, staring at the tabletop. Chris sat down next to him. “Why do I even care, you know? It’s just a hat.” His blue eyes slowly slid up to meet Chris’ gaze. “Except it’s like I can hide under the hat, you know? No one notices me under the hat. They notice parts of me…my eyes, my hair, my skin…but they are so concerned about the hat and how it looks that they don’t really expect me to be JC Chasez. And for five minutes, that’s nice.”

“I really didn’t mind the hat,” Chris said honestly. “It was freaky and fun. And I notice your eyes, hair and skin with or without it. And I like JC Chasez, too.” Chris clamped his mouth shut. Since when did he make mushy speeches? JC stared at him.

“Wow…thanks, Chris.”

“Why did you do all that, JC?” JC looked confused. Chris sighed. “Justin…Lance…Joey…why? And why not with me?”

“I was just playing around, kinda. I knew it wouldn’t hurt anything…just like a groupie, you know, except it was forbidden and fun and safe. And it was just sex, not making love or anything. That guy was right…every time I wore the hat I got lucky,” JC said with a rueful grin. “And you…well…I didn’t feel right just playing around with you.”

Chris silently pulled the hat out from under his shirt. JC’s eyes widened. “What would I get if you wore the hat right now?”

“I’d ask you to make love to me,” JC said quickly. Chris stared. “If…you know…you wanted to. But if you didn’t that would be fine. I’d still be your friend and all. But I’d like you to…I didn’t let anyone else, cuz, you know…that was for you.”

Chris slowly sat the hat on JC’s head, tugging it down. “You do look damn sexy in that hat,” he said approvingly. JC slowly pulled it off and Chris’ heart sank. He shivered as he felt JC’s slender fingers pulling it down over HIS head.

“No…it’s you. Definitely you.” He smiled and giggled a bit. “Do you feel lucky?”

“I don’t know…do I?” Chris whispered. JC nodded and stood up. Chris followed. As their lips met, Chris had to slightly tilt his head back to kiss the taller man, and the hat started to slip. JC grabbed it, tossing it to the floor so his fingers could dance through Chris’ short hair. “If we do this…it isn’t the end,” Chris said, but the words didn’t convey what he meant. “I want more.”

“So do I,” JC said, almost sighing happily as his fingers intertwined with Chris’ on the way to the bedroom. “So do I.”

 

“Hey, Jayce, you got your hat back!” Justin commented as they got together for breakfast the next day.

“Yeah, Chris found it for me,” JC said, smiling shyly at Chris before going to the buffet. The other three guys stared at Chris.

“What happened?” Joey demanded. Chris smiled slightly.

“I didn’t do anything YOU three did,” he remarked, then followed JC to the buffet. It was true. They didn’t sixty-nine, they didn’t give blowjobs, and JC didn’t fuck him. He had made love to JC twice, and they had barely gotten to sleep before it was time to wake up. He walked up behind JC, who smiled before even turning around.

“I could smell your cologne. I like it.”

“I’ll bathe in it then,” Chris joked, and JC laughed the high-pitched giggle. JC turned around, desperately wanting to kiss Chris, but not wanting to do it in such a public place. Instead he grabbed the hat and slapped it onto Chris’ head. Chris smiled.

“I love your hat, Jayce,” he said simply. JC smiled his beautiful smile, ran a hand through the unruly soft hair, gave Chris a blue-eyed twinkle, then headed back to the table.

THE END


End file.
